


between skin and bone

by orro



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Tokyo Ghoul, Gen, Half-Siblings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-11-14
Updated: 2016-11-23
Packaged: 2018-08-30 23:15:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8553439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orro/pseuds/orro
Summary: Grave Robber is a fearsome ghoul who prefers the taste of a corpse freshly prepared for its wake. Actually Ryou hates that he steals from grieving families but this way he doesn’t have to kill anyone. It’s kind of annoying that the CCG has a name for him though because now he has to travel to other districts to eat. He’d rather be designing monster world figurines.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Fiver](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fiver/gifts).



> Happy Birthday, Fiver! This is turning out longer than I initially planned so I'm going to post it as a wip.

Bakura sighs when he sees the guards outside the mortuary. It won’t stop him or his kagune but it’s an extra step and he just wants to go home so he can finish painting. His friends are coming over tomorrow for a game and he promised Yuugi he’d redo his figure after Jounouchi sat on it. 

 

Also this means that people are aware of him so he’s going to have to move his feeding ground to a further district. But he hadn’t wanted to make the trek tonight. It was sloppy and lazy of him, really. Bakura has already stolen a corpse from this particular mortuary. 

 

He slips his mask on, making sure it’s on tight, then speeds forward before either of them realize what’s going on. A blow from his kagune knocks them both down, and he slams the door shut behind him, locking them out of the building. Bakura doesn’t intend to kill them and it takes more effort to immobilize them but this is the life he’s chosen. 

 

There’s a woman in the room, keeping the corpse company, and she screams at seeing his kagune and kakugan. Bakura lets it flare out a little larger and she starts begging for her life. He can’t stop his mind from thinking about how she’s related to the deceased but he fights the thought.

 

The corpse is lying there ready for Bakura. He swallows his guilt at seeing it dressed from the wake, the white kimono always inspiring a deep gnawing sensation completely unrelated to when he’s last eaten. Bakura rips an arm off and bites into it, quickly chewing so he can sate the worst of his hunger. He hasn’t been starved in years but he stretches his feeding times thin. 

 

After a few bites Bakura turns to ripping the body apart as quickly as possible. The guards won’t stay down for long but Bakura only needs a few seconds to pry the limbs off. The woman is pleading now for him to leave the corpse alone but Bakura ignores her. 

 

He’s busy with work and friends. For a ghoul he has a relatively active social life masquerading as a human. He can make plenty of plausible excuses but he’d rather be with his friends than creeping around homes in the middle of the night.

 

As it is he’s going to be exhausted at work tomorrow and though he’s only a cashier at the local Burger World it’s still something he has to get out of bed for. In truth he’s thankful for the job since his paperwork is sketchy at best. Anzu had recommended him though she quit a few weeks later. Bakura didn’t have an issue with customers pawing at him and he’s gotten really good at fake eating the french fries. 

 

His friends insist he can do better and that it’s a temporary job but Bakura just shrugs at them. He can’t attend university like they can but he can’t exactly explain that’s because he’s part ghoul. It’s easier to cite money and let them keep trying to encourage him. Bakura shakes his head; his friends are the best but they don’t ever need to know what Bakura truly is. 

 

The limbs go into his lined freezer bag which then gets shoved into a duffel bag. Bakura doesn’t look like he works out but no one questions him. At least no one has stopped to interrogate him yet. He looks at the woman who is sobbing now and the door slams open as the guards manage to unlock it.

 

“I’m sorry,” Bakura murmurs.

 

He meets the guards head-on, dodging the useless bullets and striking them once more to the ground with his kagune so he can make his escape, well aware that the police and CCG will be here soon enough. If he’s truly unlucky then the doves will already be in the area and he’ll probably die tonight. 

 

His trip back home is uneventful and he throws himself onto his couch for a few minutes to relax even as he knows he’ll have to clean up before his friends come over tomorrow. It’s only because he’s half ghoul that he even has the necessary strength and speed. But meat will only keep for so long and he forces himself to get up so he can properly store his meal. 

 

The best part of the body is the middle but Bakura causes enough harm by stealing body parts. And this is more than enough to feed him for a while. 

 

Four episodes of TwinBee later, Bakura shuts his CD player off and takes a notepad with him to what he likes to refer to as his quiet corner and what Honda calls his sad spot. His mother and sister had been killed by the CCG long ago. He doesn’t know the exact date since he’d run for days, trying to keep ahead of CCG agents. Bakura sits in front of their photo and lingers over the letter to his sister. Amane had never grown old enough to truly understand their world. Though Bakura is not sure that he comprehends it at times either. But he lives, and they are dead, and so it goes. 

 

Bakura seals up the letter then lights a match and burns it. The ashes are thrown into the trash once they are done smouldering. No one taught him to write and burn letters but for Bakura it feels right. Amane is dead and gone from him. He has no family. His father left once he realized what he had married and while Bakura isn’t certain that he’s the reason his mother and sister are dead, he wouldn’t be surprised otherwise. Harboring a ghoul is treason and he can’t even imagine the penalty for falling in love with one, let alone bearing half breed children.

 

Bakura gets up before his thoughts can turn towards what-ifs. Honda is going to join their next tabletop game and Ryou is absolutely committed to making it the best one yet. Yuugi has already gone through his next campaign, adding in notes and suggestions, but Bakura’s only skimmed the edits. 

 

He turns the radio on this time to drown out the silence in the empty apartment and sets out all his notes on the floor. Honda has never joined them before but Jounouchi and Anzu finally have convinced him to try a round. They’re only going to have one chance to draw him into the game and Yuugi is just as determined as he is to keep Honda interested.

 

He spends far too much time writing and consulting his rule books and in the end only gets around three hours of sleep before he has to head to work. Bakura yawns his way out of his apartment and runs into someone just outside his door. 

 

“Sorry,” Bakura mumbles, then stops as he realizes he has just encountered a ghoul. But the stranger being a ghoul isn’t the most shocking part once Bakura gets a proper look at him.

 

Bakura had a sister. He has never had a brother. But this ghoul looks so much like him and Bakura can’t tear his eyes away, even as the ghoul’s kagune flares out and slams him back into the door. It’s forceful enough that the unlocked door swings backwards, hinges flying off, and Bakura is pushed into his apartment and up against the wall. That eerily similar face closes in and presses right up to his. 

 

“You’re Bakura Ryou,” the ghoul says and he doesn’t ask. 

 

“Y-yes,” Bakura says, out of breath and pained. The pressure around his waist and chest lessens fractionally so he can speak clearly. “I don’t know you.” 

 

“I didn’t even know you existed so that doesn’t surprise me,” the ghoul says. “You can call me Bakura. I’ll call you Ryou.” 

 

Ryou doesn’t say anything. 

 

“I don’t think I like you,” the ghoul called Bakura says. “You seem weak.” 

 

“Then let me go,” Ryou says and Bakura laughs. His face is too close to Ryou’s but he has no way to escape and even leaning back as far as he can only gives him another centimeter of distance.

 

“You don’t seem curious about me.” 

 

“I need to get to work. I don’t have time to be curious,” Ryou says. 

 

Bakura’s grin vanishes. His kagune tightens and Ryou can’t help a harsh cough as his throat is squeezed. Bakura presses his face right up to Ryou, his breath reeking of human blood. In a perverse way Ryou is glad he recently fed because otherwise the smell would be enough to rile his hunger. 

 

“You go to ‘work’. You have ‘friends’. You aren’t a ghoul, you’re a bastard of a traitor to your own race, and I’m not done talking to you yet.” Bakura lets go of him, retracting his kagune, and Ryou’s hand flies to his throat to massage it. He’s going to have bruises all over and people are definitely going to ask questions. Ryou eyes Bakura’s kagune and his unmistakable ghoul eyes burning in rage.

 

“There are plenty of ghouls who have jobs,” Ryou says though he hasn’t met that many other ghouls. HIs mother had kept him away from other people since neither ghouls nor humans would look kindly upon a human-ghoul hybrid. Ryou glances at the door but no one has noticed the disturbance.

 

“And they’re stupid but they all die eventually. Someone reports them to the CCG and then that’s the end of it. I don’t have to lift a finger to help that process,” Bakura says. “Ask me something.” 

 

“What?” Ryou blinks at him. 

 

“Ask me why we look alike, why we share a family name. It’s written all over your face. Go on.” 

 

Ryou looks at him carefully but doesn’t know what he’s looking for. Bakura does look like him but he’s all ghoul. There’s an obvious answer but Ryou doesn’t care about this stranger who has appeared from nowhere.

 

“I have to go-” Ryou tries to say but before he can take more than a step Bakura throws him down to the ground, pinning him and snarling a laugh in his face. Ryou doesn’t cry out as he hits the floor but it’s a near thing.

 

“I’m not done with you, little brother,” Bakura says and Ryou shuts his eyes because he does not want to hear this. He’s not surprised when Bakura hit him across the face. “Look at me.” 

 

Ryou glares at Bakura. He has to actively keep his kakugan from manifesting; Ryou doesn’t fight other ghouls and he’s weak. Bakura seems to use his kagune without hesitation and as if it’s a third limb. He has the experience and practice that Ryou lacks. 

 

“I heard our mother fell in love with a human and I had to see for myself if it was true,” Bakura says. He smirks a little and his fingertips brush Ryou’s cheek. “She deserved to die then, that fool.” 

 

“Shut up,” Ryou says, shivering in disgust at Bakura’s touch and he fights his kakugan back. Bakura is goading him but he’s not going to sit back and listen to him insult his family. “You don’t know anything about-” 

 

“Our mother did me one favor and left me with actual ghouls before running off to play human.” Bakura isn’t smiling. “I rather think you’re the one who doesn’t know anything. You didn’t even recognize the scent of a ghoul on your doorstep. You’re worse than an infant, you filthy half human.” 

 

“Then leave. If I disgust you so much then go away. I like my life, all things considered. I don’t need you.” Ryou doesn’t struggle against Bakura and he stares into his dark eyes. The last time he saw a kakugan activated it was his mother’s as she told him to run. Bakura doesn’t have their mother’s eyes though and Ryou counts that as a blessing; he wouldn’t be able to bear his cruel look if that were the case.

 

“Oh but you do,” Bakura murmurs. “You don’t even know how wrong this is for you. How do you get your food, little brother? I doubt you kill people. No, I can see that our dearly departed mother has ruined you, and I’ll do the right thing for my family. You’ll learn how to live like a real ghoul ought to.” 

 

Ryou is about to protest again when Bakura’s kagune pierces through his shoulder. Instead he screams in pain, especially as Bakura begins to dig past his bones and insides so his kagune goes all the way through and gouges the floor. Bakura pulls his kagune out but stays on top of Ryou as he thrashes around. 

 

Ryou’s kagune shoots out as he tries to defend himself but even though they’re so close Bakura still reacts in time to pin his limb to the ground. All Ryou can do is endure as he bleeds. When he finally stops spasming, Bakura gets up, and hauls Ryou to his feet. He throws Ryou over his shoulder and although that causes another wave of bright agony, Ryou has no energy left to fight. 

 

“Let’s go see the world you were robbed of,” Bakura says in a cheerful tone and that hateful voice is the last thing Ryou hears before his vision is overcome by blinding white light and he passes out.


	2. Chapter 2

Ryou wakes up to someone prodding at his shoulder. 

 

“Oh, good, you’re awake. Are you hungry?” The ghoul moves away and takes his disposable gloves off; his skin is dark but his hair is blond and the combination makes Ryou stare. It isn’t until the ghoul grins at him that Ryou realizes the ghoul is watching him as intently as Ryou is.

 

Ryou looks around but he doesn’t see Bakura anywhere. He shakes his head slowly and sits up, one hand going to his newly healed skin. It’s probably because he had just eaten that he’s recovered so quick. At the moment he’s not hungry but he’ll need to eat within the week; he’s not used to being injured.

 

“So you’re Bakura’s brother,” the ghoul says and he looks slightly bored but Ryou gets the feeling he’s hiding his real interest. 

 

The ghoul pulls up a chair and sits beside Ryou, at ease as he crosses one leg and folds his arms. At a guess Ryou would say they’re only a year apart in age but he can tell at a glance that this is a ghoul who fights. There are muscles under the violet shirt and he has a sharp edge to him that Ryou lacks in spades.

 

“Apparently,” Ryou says and he looks around for a shirt to put on. It won’t stop the ghoul’s searching look but it’ll make Ryou feel less self conscious. 

 

“That must have been a shock to discover,” the ghoul says. “I don’t envy you.” 

 

“Can I have a shirt?” Ryou asks.

 

“I would have thought you would have asked where you were first,” the ghoul says with a mocking smile as he gets up to fetch Ryou a clean white t shirt. 

 

“I know that wherever I am, it isn’t safe if Bakura brought me here,” Ryou says as he pulls the shirt on, the cloth hiding his grimace when he says Bakura’s name. He’s always gone by his surname but it doesn’t seem like that’ll continue for much longer. 

 

“You’re wrong but probably not how you think,” the ghoul says. “Bakura doesn’t run shit; that’s all me.” 

 

“Run what?” Ryou asks slowly, gripping the blanket.

 

“I haven’t introduced myself. My name is Malik Ishtar,” the ghoul says, holding out his hand.

 

Ryou has already accepted his handshake when he freezes as he recognizes the name and Malik takes the moment to pull his hand away. 

 

“Jackals,” Ryou says in a soft voice because he’s terrified but also fascinated. 

 

The Jackals are the bane of the Sixth Ward, named for the cannibalistic tendencies the group has. They feast on humans and ghouls alike. They’ve been making inroads in the Seventh ward and causing trouble in the Eighteenth.

 

Malik Ishtar is their leader, and the Jackals are said to be his form of rebelling against his family. The Ishtars keep to themselves and don’t cause much trouble outside of their ward. A few are even said to have high positions in the government.

 

At a glance Malik wouldn’t have been his first choice to run an infamous ring of ghouls but if he’s even remotely friendly with Bakura then he has to be mad on some level. Anyone who can cooperate with Bakura has to have some steel in them, Ryou is certain.

 

“And here I thought you were ignorant,” Malik says and it’s an insult but there’s also some praise in there. He’s got a lazy grin on and he leans back in his chair again, hands crossed over his chest. “Don’t worry, you’re not a meal for us. Bakura is the only one allowed to rough you up, from what I’ve heard him tell the others.”

 

“Again, that doesn’t make me feel any better,” Ryou says. 

 

“I only came here to the Third Ward while Bakura looked for you,” Malik says. “We’ll be going back to the Sixth Ward in a few days. 

 

Ryou looks down at his hands which are gripping the blankets as if they’re a lifeline. He doesn’t need Malik to spell it out for him that he’ll be joining them on their return to the Sixth Ward. Before either of them can speak again Bakura slams the door open.

 

“You told me you would call me once he woke up,” Bakura says with a look that is part furious glare and wounded betrayal. 

 

“Ah, I forgot,” Malik lies blithely and Bakura sees through it of course but he only grits his teeth and turns to ignore Malik. Malik doesn’t give him the chance. “I was explaining to Bakura here what we’re doing and how the Jackals function.” 

 

“Call him Ryou. It’ll get too confusing otherwise,” Bakura snaps. 

 

“He goes by Bakura. You should use your given name instead. I think it suits him better,” Malik says. 

 

“That name is dead,” Bakura says and his kakugan is activate. 

 

Malik chuckles at the sight but doesn’t take back anything he’s said. 

 

Bakura turns his look to Ryou and his eyes are still all black and red hate; Ryou doesn’t even try to hide his fear. 

 

“Whatever he said to you, ignore it,” Bakura says with a dismissive gesture towards Malik. 

 

“He said you won’t hurt me,” Ryou says. 

 

“That’s the only true part,” Bakura says, glaring at Malik, who is looking at his phone now. “We’re family so we should fight together. You’re only half ghoul but you’re still a ghoul. You belong in this world.” 

 

“I liked where I was before,” Ryou says again even though he knows what kind of reaction that will bring. Bakura’s kakugan still burns.

 

“You were weak. You are weak. You’ll die at playing human and no one will mourn you. Your precious friends will cheer your death and wonder at how evil you were for tricking them,” Bakura says. 

 

“Tell him he’s also responsible for all the lost kittens and puppies in the world,” Malik chimes in. Bakura doesn’t acknowledge him though his eyes do seem to narrower into a harsher look. 

 

“This isn’t a joke. He doesn’t belong with humans,” Bakura says and he bends down to he can get right up into Ryou’s face. “You are a ghoul and the only need you have for humans is to devour them.” 

 

“I’m a half ghoul,” Ryou says. The distinction has never mattered too much before since half ghoul was far too much for humans. But he feels it matters now, somehow. 

 

“You need to put those away,” Malik says, pointing to his eyes. 

 

To Ryou’s surprise, Bakura listens, and the next time he looks at Ryou his kakugan is gone. 

 

“I don’t care about that,” Bakura says. “We’re brothers whether you like it or not. It’s in both of our best interests to work together.”

 

Ryou shakes his head but before Bakura can respond another ghoul walks into the room after a sharp knock on the door.

 

“I need to talk to Bakura. There’s a matter that needs to be addressed and-” 

 

“I’m busy,” Bakura snaps and Malik glares at him. With a disdainful look at Bakura he turns to the interrupting ghoul

 

“What is it?” Malik asks the ghoul. 

 

“The Dove that uses the Scale Quinque is engaged with ghouls in this ward,” the ghoul says. 

 

“Fuck,” Bakura says. He stares at Ryou.

 

“You told everyone that you were to be the first person to know about the reappearance of that particular quinque,” Malik says. 

 

“Fuck you,” Bakura says. He stands still for a moment then points to Malik. “Don’t do anything stupid.” 

 

“I can’t believe you said that to me,” Malik says. 

 

“Ryou better be here when I come back and he’d better be in one piece. Keep your hands off him,” Bakura snarls and Ryou rolls his eyes. 

 

“Yes, yes, my king,” Malik says with his own eyeroll. Once Bakura leaves, barking at the poor ghoul forced to play messenger, Malik turns to Ryou. “You lucked out.” 

 

“Did I?” Ryou asks and Malik gives a small smile. 

 

“Who can say?” Malik stands up and beckons Ryou to follow him. “I suppose it falls to me then to give you the grand tour.” 

 

“I guess I can’t really refuse, can I?” 

 

“You’re not my prisoner,” Malik says, a little surprised. “You’re a guest, if anything. Bakura found out about you and I told him to go meet you. I didn’t mention anything to him about kidnapping you or bringing you here by force.” 

 

“So I can just...leave?” Ryou asks. 

 

“I wanted to talk to you. I thought you’d be more like Bakura but you’re something entirely different,” Malik says with a shrug. 

 

Ryou gets up and heads towards the door. Malik reaches out to grab his hand and his touch is gentle though steady. 

 

“You’re not like Bakura. But I think you’re stronger than he is, in a way. I don’t want to be enemies,” Malik says and Ryou blinks in surprise and confusion at him. Malik lets go of him and takes a step back. “You are welcome to join us, Bakura Ryou.”

 

“I-I don’t think I could,” Ryou says. Malik is not what he was expecting but he doesn’t have a good handle on the ghoul. Home is safer where his friends don’t know the truth and he can enjoy a comfortable life.

 

“You should leave before Bakura comes back,” Malik says. “We’ll talk again, probably sooner rather than later. No one will bother you inside but once you leave the building I can’t guarantee anything.”

 

“That’s fine. And uh, thank you for the shirt,” Ryou says after Malik details how to leave the building and return to his ward.

 

“Go,” Malik says and leaves him without sticking around to watch him. 

 

Ryou takes it as his cue to get out while he has the chance. If Bakura shows up he’ll probably beat Ryou down again and his healing isn’t that great. True to his word, none of the ghouls in the building pay attention to him, though when he leaves the ghouls standing guard stare at him. 

 

Ryou doesn’t speak to them. Instead he looks up at the sky to see that it’s almost evening. He’s one of the monsters that people fear so he’s not scared of the night. But tonight he can’t shake the sticky feeling of fear at how easily Bakura overpowered him. 

 

This isn’t over, he’s not fool enough to think that one escape means Bakura will give up on him, but all Ryou can think about is returning home. He’ll deal with the fact that he has a bloodthirsty stalker of a ghoul in the morning after he’s slept in his bed.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are appreciated <3


End file.
